But there are a whole host of offences which could see you pay for your crime with a five-figure penalty.

From spitting in the street to firing a cannon in a residential area, you'll be surprised what attracts a fine and how much you'll need to shell out as a result.

Maximum fines for unusual offences in UK

The maximum parking ticket fine in London is capped at £130, but ministers are considering raising the cap outside the capital – which is currently set at £70 – because in some cases it isn't enough of a deterrent.

If you're thinking about skipping an inconvenient trip to the skip in favour of dumping some rubbish on a patch of wasteland, think again. Fly-tipping, to give it its official title, carries a maximum fine of £50,000.

Spitting in the street now carries a fine of £80, as does urinating in the street, and an increasing number of councils are taking advantage of bylaws to make offenders cough up.

Maximum parking fines inside and outside of London

The Metropolitan Street Act of 1867 prohibits any driving cattle through city streets from 10am to 7pm. Anyone who flouts this law will be charged £200 per animal.

Anyone found guilty of killing the protected species that is the mute swan can be fined up to £5,000.

Dangerous cycling or careless cycling both attract a maximum fine of £1,000 and cycling on a pavement still attracts a maximum fine of £500.

Road and vehicle offence crimes in the UK

Anyone who has an alarm which is left ringing can have their property broken into by the authorities to silence it and land the owner with a maximum fine of £5,000.

The Metropolitan Police Act of 1839 states that anyone irritating residents by firing a canon within 300 yards of their home will be fined £200.

Cannon fine

£200

Fine for firing a cannon within 300 yards of a person's home under the 1839 Metropolitan Police Act

If you're considering about having a spontaneous street party, consider the fine if you decide to slap a loudspeaker on the pavement to get things started. You could be a fined a maximum of £5,000.

Get caught twice in the space of three years using your mobile phone while driving and you could get a maximum fine of up to £1,000.